Building Harmony on Thanksgiving
I wrote this piece last Thanksgiving and wanted to share it again. Yoga tradition can offer some perspective about how to handle the complicated history of Thanksgiving. I offer this to you with humble gratitude for open ears and hearts that are willing to embrace love and humanity with compassion. Thank you for your presence in this world. 💚
On this Thanksgiving Day here in America:
We live here at a place we call Three Dog Farm which is a little piece of land right down the road from Plymouth, Massachusetts. Originally the home of the Wampanoag people, this area of coastal New England was the landing place of English separatists who went on to form Plymouth Colony. Over the past four hundred years much mythology about the “first Thanksgiving” has been created; now we have the opportunity to integrate the complicated history of this holiday into our personal traditions.
Weaving together our personal tradition with an acknowledgment of the need for historical accuracy and acknowledgment of cultural harms to Indigenous people creates a state of what we yogis call satya; or truthfulness. We can practice satya-truth-by acknowledging the experiences of all those who came before us. By integrating this knowledge into how we celebrate Thanksgiving, we can choose how to create meaningful traditions that are worth keeping around for future generations.
There is much historical accuracy that in the fall of 1621 sachem Massasoit and ninety Pokanoket men shared a harvest festival with the small band of ‘Pilgrims’ who survived the first winter. These early days were marked by tentative treaties as the settlers and Wampanoag formed alliance in the face of harsh weather, illness, and competition between the Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes.
Unfortunately, these days of mutual communication and tentative treaties gave way to cultural erasure, appropriation, and colonization as more Europeans arrived. The ensuing annihilation of Indigenous people is in need of recognition by all of us who celebrate this holiday. Healing and reconciliation may seem impossible to those children and families who were oppressed, killed, and enslaved. But we owe it to humanity to listen, learn, and be open to painful truths as we consider the possibility of true healing between and among all people.
How we choose to recognize this complicated history is totally up to you. Reading articles like this one from the Smithsonian Magazine can help up your knowledge of history so you are informed and acknowledge our complicated past. Watching videos of the National Day of Mourning from Plymouth Massachusetts can bring richness to your day as you learn how since 1970 Indigenous people have gathered to “honor Indigenous ancestors and Native resilience. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection, as well as a protest against the racism and oppression that Indigenous people continue to experience worldwide.” You may choose to spend a few moment in quiet prayer. Or learn more about the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and ongoing efforts to retain tribal lands, culture, and full tribal sovereignty rights
Life is painful. And beautiful. Our job as spiritual seekers is to work on our own sense of satya-truthfulness-in order that we may express gratitude for both the light and dark qualities in ourselves and our communities. Only by integrating our complexity do we truly grow into our fullest potential.
To build a true spirit of gratitude and community on this Thanksgiving, let us recognize the pain and suffering of our fellow humans. The true nature of love is understanding. May we grow in this understanding. May we be loved and loving.
Today I send you gratitude for your presence in this world. Wherever you are and however you choose to spend today, may you be filled with the abundant life force of the universe in full support of your health, safety, and happiness.
All love,
Om shanti, Peace,
Gita